World
Where did we go?
May 7th
Hey everyone!
I have recently had a bit more time on my hands and so have been able to do a bit more web surfing. There are so many resources available online for learning (and teaching) English – it’s incredible! We’re always curious about how our listeners find us too.
We won ESL Site of the Year from EnglishClub.com for 2009! We were so honoured to receive that award. I just recently became a member on their site. Are any of you members? If so, feel free to add me and suggest things for me to do on their site.
One thing I found that was very interesting was their video project – The Learning English Video Project. There are a variety of videos where people of different backgrounds are interviewed about their experiences learning English. A great feature is that there are subtitles to help you follow along if you like.
I haven’t watched them all yet, but they all look interesting!
My favourite one is called Insights from China. I found this one interesting because China is growing and changing at such an impressive rate! Go to the EnglishClub to check out all their videos!
Olympic Fever
Feb 18th
I love the Olympics, I always have and I always will. As a young girl, I remember being excited whenever the Olympics were happening. I was about 7 years old when the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics happened and I remember watching many of the different events. I love both the Summer and Winter Olympics and have my favourite events for each. In the Summer Olympics, I love watching swimming and track. In Winter Olympics, I love speed skating, figure skating, snowboarding, bob-sledding; OK, really, I love them all!
I have been very excited about Vancouver 2010 for the last couple months. Before the Olympics started the Olympic flame was carried across Canada by thousands of people, some famous athletes but mainly by ordinary Canadians. I wish I could have been one of the lucky torch bearers. When the Olympic Flame was in Montreal I went to the Old Port of Montreal to celebrate. It was a very cold night but it was very exciting to see the flame so close and to see the excitement of the crowd and of the torch bearers. I have added some pictures that I took that night.
I think that most Canadians have Olympic Fever right now. At work, at school, with friends or even on the bus, everyone is talking about the Olympics. It was exciting when Canada finally won its first Olympic gold medal on home soil. Canada has won many gold medals at Olympics in different countries but never before in Canada .
The best part of the Olympics is hearing the stories about different athletes and their struggles to become an Olympic athlete. I always cheer for Canada but I also love hearing the stories about athletes from different parts of the world and cheering for them too.
Are you watching the Olympics? How many medals does your country have? What is your favorite sport to watch?
Also if you want to hear more about the city of Vancouver here is a link to the episode that Maura and I did last year.
President Barack Obama!!!
Jan 22nd
Politics is in my blood and I have to say I was very excited about yesterday. I have been exposed to politics from a very young age as my grandfather told stories from his time when he was a politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly in Punjab (a province in Northern India) in the 1950s. My grandfather was a hero of mine; he spoke 7 languages, travelled extensively and had a heart of gold. After living half of his life in India he immigrated to the United States with my grandmother to live with his youngest son, my uncle, and become an American citizen in the 1990s.
Sadly he passed away a couple of years ago, I miss him a lot and I would have loved to discuss the current situation with him.
I am a HUGE Barack Obama fan and watching him become the 44th president was great! Yesterday represented a day of hope for people all around the world (including myself), while I don’t know what today, tomorrow and the next 4 years will bring it is nice to feel hopeful about politics. The Audacity of Hope is the title of President Barack Obama’s second book and although I have not yet read it (I just finished his first one, Dreams from my Father) the title really touched me. Audacity means to have a daring spirit, resolution or confidence. In his speech addressing the Democratic National Convention in 2004, Obama said:
“I’m not talking about blind optimism here — the almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don’t talk about it, or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it. No, I’m talking about something more substantial. It’s the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker’s son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too. Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope!”
Most people are typically very cynical about politics so it was a very refreshing change to see millions of people who are excited and hopeful for the future.
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/01/20/obama-speech-text.html
I have attached a link here for you all to see the inauguration speech.
Bye Everyone.
Of all the podcasts with 'real world' English examples, I like yours the best. Maybe its the fun you put into the lessons. The students can here that in your voices. And they also feel your dedication to what you are doing - it's just not a job you do, but a gift you give to everyone who listens. And while the students like the Lipservice PDFs for all the information it contains, as a teacher I am impressed by the professional effort put into making them. I give the Culips podcast and the Culips crew my highest recommendation, both as a teacher, and a listener. 
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